Upturn Painting & Renovation

3 home painting projects you should never DIY

We love Pinterest and YouTube just as much as the next person. But while some home improvement tasks can be fun DIY projects, there are plenty that should be left to the professionals.

Save yourself time, money and possible damage to your Alpharetta, GA home by avoiding these 3 home painting projects you should never DIY.

1. Exterior painting or siding

You may have tried your hand at painting a wall inside your home before, but the exterior of your house is a different animal. For one thing, it often requires a two-story ladder or scaffolding – and we’ve found that heights and homeowners don’t mix well!

It’s also critical that exterior painting or siding be installed properly to withstand the elements, especially moisture. A poor job can at best require a redo, and at worst cause damage to the frame of your home.

2. Addressing lead paint in older homes

Prior to the 1970s, household paints often contained lead – which has been linked to a variety of health problems. And new homeowners, as well as those remodeling down to original wall layers, still run into surviving instances more often than you’d think.

Don’t approach this as a standard paint job. Addressing lead paint in your home requires special tools, safety considerations and cleanup measures – so leave the work to a professional contractor with experience working safely with lead paint.

3. Decorative painting

Decorative painting can create a high-end look in your home, at more affordable prices than the real thing – mimicking textures and patterns such as stone, wood grain, fabric, metal and more.

However a DIY faux finish is more likely to come out looking like a faux pas. It takes a highly-trained, experienced painter to create realistic, high-end custom finishes.